Stories & Projects by Eli Stillman

Superbad Review

Seth Rogen proved in 2007 that he still knows what it’s like to party like a teenager. Or at least attempt to. The actor, director, producer was the driving force behind Superbad which simultaneously paid tribute to older teen sex comedies while twisting conventional cliches into something deeper than boobs, beer and high school graduation.
In the last two weeks before Evan and Seth graduate high school they find themselves in a frenzied conquest to achieve the ultimate goal of losing their virginity. While neither their popularity nor looks have brought much luck with ladies, their chances of getting laid are raised when they find themselves in charge of supplying booze for a big party. To get alcohol for the party the two trust in Fogell, the one kid in school who’s dorkier than themselves, and his fake ID. Misadventures of the night involve major police interaction, minor unidentified human liquid and a heavy reality of bromance.
The troupe of young males pursuing sex is a narrative that’s been seen in movies throughout the last three decades. With the allure of nudity and sexual content, these movies are able to reel in audience members and provide often raunchy comedy. While the dialog of Superbad is a rapid fire of sex jokes, it also depicts a reality that kids getting ready to graduate deal with.
The conquest that these boys share is to finally lose their virginity and therefore be ready for college and ultimately manhood. As Seth blatantly puts it, “You don’t want to suck dick at fucking pussy.” But while they openly banter about females and sex, they withhold their feeling about going to separate schools in the fall.
Throughout the movie, the two brush off questions and concerns from other characters about how it’s going to be when they no longer will share proximity. Even through all of their fronted machoness and sexual teasing, its very apparent that the two share a deep bond. Male comradery typically goes hand in hand with the pursuit of sex in teen films, but often times it’s downplayed with shallow results.
Another way that Superbad defies the norm of sex comedies is that while it depicts the common connection between alcohol and physical intimacy, it is one of the first films to address consent. In no way, shape or form does the dialogue of the film show particular courtesy towards women but in the end, both Seth and Evan miss their opportunities to have sex because of inebriation and moral judgment.
In many aspects, Superbad is paying tribute to the teen films of the 80’s and 90’s but it truly adapts to the cultural change of the 2000’s. With references to Myspace, clothing styles and other movies relevant to the time, it’s interesting to see how Superbad has etched itself into the teen classics while creatively creating a nuance among similar films in the genre.